What is an often overlooked low- or no-cost technique for saving energy in building systems?
Tenant engagement is a valuable tool to educate and get occupants on board with a building-wide energy and sustainability program. How a space is designed and occupied plays a big role in the overall building energy performance, which is reflected in a building’s Energy Star rating. We are also working on Tenant Star, which will recognize energy-efficient leased space and provide a voluntary platform to benchmark tenant spaces. Another building-wide solution to consider is demand response programs which reduce peak energy demand through pre-cooling and load shedding and which are incentivized through many utility programs.
Answers provided by Wendy Fok, project director, High-Performance Demonstration Project of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Center for Market Innovation.